Sacrifice Of One
by SivanShemesh
Summary: He felt useless. His family did not want him plus he had nothing to lose. Complete . Nominee for MEFA 2009


Title: Sacrifice of One 1/1

Author: Sivan Shemesh

Beta-s: Tena & Nautika

Rate: PG-13 ((T)). **Totally AU**.

Summary: He felt useless. His family did not want him plus he had nothing to lose.

Disclaimer: Not mine ever has.

Warning: Violence, angst, emotional stuff on the line. Character death.

Note: Was written for Teitho theme - Unlikely Heroes

**-III-**

**Gondor**

He ran from his family, as he could not suffer their words to him…

"_You are useless, all you brought to us, is simply nothing._" His father words to him ripped his spirit.

Though his brother's words were bringing tears to his eyes. "_I taught you everything, and yet nothing has been learned… you wrecked my sword, the sword that father gave me! I hate you! I am ashamed to be your brother._"

At night, he packed his things and stepped out of the door. Nothing mattered to him anymore, and he ran as fast as his legs would take him.

Knowing that no one would search for him; he stopped running as he reached the river, and collapsed on the ground, letting himself cry. He covered his eyes, not wanting anyone to see him. He missed his mother terribly.

Since his mother died, he felt alone and did not fit into his family. Every day they hit him with those hurtful words and recently it escalated to bites and punches, making him bleed. There was no one to heal his wounds, or make him feel better.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, he jumped, trying not to look at whoever it was.

"Are you all right?" He heard the soft words.

He was afraid to say anything.

"Boy, are you all right?" The voice asked again.

Still no answer came from the boy, the man moved closer, knelt beside him and took the boy in his arms, letting him cry upon his shoulders.

"Who hurts you so much?" The man asked him softly.

The boy raised his head from the man's shoulders, staring at him with fear in his eyes, not knowing why the man was worrying about him, in the first place, as he was useless.

"Why do you even _care_ about me? I am **useless**!" The boy cried over the man, wishing he would just leave him alone and just continue with what he was doing.

"Because… I have felt the same. My mother sent me away to the elven kingdom, and I did not know why she did it. I could see in their eyes, the hate they had for me. I felt so alone, and yet, time healed it, as they learned about me and accepted me in their lives. They helped end my thoughts of being alone and not being loved." The man answered him, as he wiped the tears from the boy.

"But _I_ am useless; you better get going and leave me here alone." The boy sniffed and wished that the man was gone.

"I am not leaving you alone here at night; you could be hurt." The man spoke to him.

"Why should you care? I am nothing!" The boy exclaimed.

"No, you are not!" The man said firmly.

"Aragorn, we should leave!"

The boy stared at the man, and then he stared at the voice that was heard, noticing the elf he asked the man, "Where did he come from?"

"He was here with me," Aragorn explained and then he rose to his feet. Looking at the elf and then back to the boy who appeared confused, "He is my friend, his name is Legolas, and my name is Aragorn."

"But he is an elf."

"I know that he is an elf, but I know that I can trust him, as he can trust me." Aragorn replied softly.

The boy sighed and then he asked, as he remembered the man's name, "You?"

"What?" Aragorn asked, not knowing what the boy meant.

"Are you that Strider that everyone in Gondor is speaking about?" The boy asked, now staring at the ground. He felt so useless that even the man's comforting words did not seem to help.

Aragorn moved his hand to lift the boy's head, as he replied softly, "I am."

"I am nothing!" The boy said to him, wishing Aragorn could not see his face. He felt alone and useless as the man before him was the description of success, and yet, he felt like nothing.

"Come with us boy, and I will let you see that you are not what you think you are." Aragorn suggested and offered his hand to the boy, hoping that the boy would take his hand and trust him.

The boy stared at the hand with his gray eyes, unsure if he could trust this man, even when he heard those stories about the one named Strider.

"We should go." Legolas spoke over Aragorn, as he sensed the danger as the trees spoke to him.

Aragorn seemed to ignore the elf's words as his attention was towards the boy.

He felt pity for the boy, and he wished to help him.

"Trust me…" Aragorn pleaded with him, moving his hand closer to the boy.

The boy kept staring at the offered hand and then he stared at the elf. The elf seemed concerned as he scanned the area around them.

The boy sighed heavily, then took Aragorn's hand and held it tight.

"You have made the best choice, my boy." Aragorn welcome him with a smile, and then he knelt to take the boy's pack.

"Lead the way, Legolas." Aragorn gently spoke to the elf.

The boy stared at the elf, then at Aragorn. "Where are you taking me?" The boy asked.

"Somewhere safe." Aragorn replied as he took the boy in his arms and then followed the elf.

**-II-**

**While at the boy's house…**

"He left." the man said to his father.

"Good, that is the smartest thing that he has done."

"Is that what you hoped that he would do?" The man snapped at his father.

"Aye, as long as I have you."

**-I-I-I**

**In the forest**

"Climb up the tree." Aragorn spoke to him softly.

"I cannot. I will only fall and get hurt." The boy said. Aragorn could see the pain in his face.

Aragorn wished that he could just take the pain away, but it would not happen, not until the boy opened himself to others.

"Try, I will be one step behind you. I will not let you fall, I promise." Aragorn said to him.

The boy stared at his face, noticing only love, understanding, and caring from him. He knew that he would have to trust someone sooner or later.

The boy nodded to him, and then turned his to the tree trunk. Placing his leg where the bolt was, he moved his hands to hold the branches as he climbed the tree.

He could feel happiness and pride as he was climbing all by himself. Then everything seemed to change, as his right leg missed the bolt to hold. His right leg seemed to drop through the air, and he had a feeling that he was going to fall. Then he felt a strong hand on his feet, keeping him from falling, and he could hear the encouraging words from Strider, "You are doing good, boy, keep climbing."

The boy did climb until he reached the elf who sitting peacefully upon a branch up the tree.

"I did not see you climbing, how?" The boy asked the elf, who looked amused by the boy's question.

"Make some room for me, boy," he heard behind him. He still held the trunk of tree, still fearing he may fall.

He moved his legs on the branch, and let the man sit down.

Aragorn sat beside the elf, though he still held the trunk of tree, and called over to the boy, "Come, I will not let you fall down."

The boy moved slowly towards the man.

Aragorn caught him and could feel how the boy was shivering, "Are you cold?"

"N… no…" the boy answered as he tried to control his voice, which did not help.

Aragorn pulled the boy next to him, into a warm embrace then he covered him with his cloak, knowing that would keep him warm for tonight, from the cold air.

"Shh… let him sleep, he suffered enough." He said to the elf, as he stared at the boy.

"You are in danger, Aragorn," Legolas said. Catching the man's attention he continued, "The wind and the trees alerted me that Gondor's men know of your presence. There are several people that are threatened by you. They think you intend to take the crown. I will not let you die because of it, we should leave at once!"

"How can you tell? Because the nature said it? I need to see it for myself!" Aragorn snapped at him, and then wished that he could take his words back, knowing how much he hurt his best friend.

"I did not mean it, forgive me for my words," Aragorn said right away with a sincere apology in his eyes.

Legolas looked deeply at Aragorn, trying to judge his feelings from his eyes. "I forgive you."

Legolas looked at the green leaves, and then he returned his gaze to the man. "We will do it in your way, but if I see that it is going too far, we are leaving."

"Fine, but we take the boy. I care about him." Aragorn added.

"I agree." Legolas nodded.

**-I-**

**One week later…**

Aragorn handed the boy his dagger, and told him that he was worthy to hold it, showing that he trusted him.

"Why?" The boy asked, staring at the dagger with wild eyes.

"For defending yourself, as I am worried about you." Aragorn gracefully answered as he watched the boy with caring in his eyes.

The boy nodded and looked at the dagger. Then he covered it with his dirty clothes.

Then he turned his back and motioned for the boy to hold him, "Hold your hands around me as tight as you can while I am climbing down with you."

The boy tightened his hand around the man's body, and when he felt ready, he nodded.

Aragorn started to climb down with the boy.

Then when they were on the ground, Aragorn said. "You can let go now."

The boy blushed, "Thank you."

Aragorn said nothing to him, though he smiled at the boy, and moved his hand over the dark hair as he rubbed it slowly.

"We should go." Legolas suddenly said, as he cut the thickened silence between Aragorn and the boy.

When the three exited the forest, the boy could hear shouting and could see eyes glaring at him.

"Get over here boy, they will kill you, the elf would kill you." He heard, but he did not agree.

So far, the elf had only been protective of him.

"Faramir? Is that you?" He heard his name, and turned to see who is calling for him.

He noticed the man he once called 'brother' Boromir, and wondered what his brother wanted from him now.

"Get away from this man. He only wishes to take the crown from father, to rule Gondor." Boromir said.

"He is better than father." Faramir claimed, and he had no regrets in his words. His gray eyes sparkled as if he first knew the meaning of being alive and having someone to trust.

Legolas leaned his head over Aragorn's shoulder and said to him, "Now do you believe me?"

Aragorn nodded.

They were about to leave with his brother, so Boromir removed his sword from the hilt and so did the other men around.

The fight had begun. Aragorn and Legolas tried everything to protect the boy that seemed to be named 'Faramir'.

When they seemed defeated, Aragorn returned his sword back to his hilt.

But the battle was not over. Boromir was not a man who would give up. He walked to Aragorn and moved his sword to hit him.

"Aragorn, look out!" Legolas called as he sensed the danger, but he was too slow to act, as someone else did his job.

Faramir took the dagger and moved to stab his brother, but it seemed that he was too late. He felt the cold sharp sword hit his body and he let go of the dagger, letting it drop to the ground.

Boromir did not expected to miss his target, but instead someone else was hurt and dying in front of his eyes.

Someone that he wished could forgive him for what he did years earlier.

"NOOOOO!" he yelled and collapsed on the ground, not realizing that his sword was still in his brother's limp body.

"Faramir… I am sorry, please forgive me…" Boromir cried upon his brother's dying body.

Aragorn knelt beside the boy's body, moved his hand upon the boy's cheek, and said as tears left his eyes, "You are not useless as you thought you are. You save my life, and I am thankful for that, though I only wished that you were here with me."

"How dare you?" Boromir snapped at him.

"How dare you kill your own brother? You have beaten him and told him how useless he was. You told him that he was nothing to you and to your father; have you no love for him at all?" Aragorn yelled back at the man, as his eyes were grew darker with hate for he _did_ care for the boy.

"I never… told you that… I was beaten… how did you know?" Faramir asked the man that he saved.

"The scars and the fresh wound told me what you could not, young man, and I cherish you for saving my life." Aragorn replied and placed a comforting smile over the dying boy.

"It has taken his death for you to show how much you did love him?" Aragorn added, glaring at the man who still kept hold of his dying brother.

Boromir only stared, filled with shame. There was nothing he could say, any words were meaningless now.

**The End!**

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